Windsor prepares for final farewell to the queen with funeral favors

by

Windsor is used to crowds. The city 40 km from London is swamped by tourists mainly in the summer, when its streets and pubs are full. And one of the great attractions is precisely its castle, the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II.

The location has been the scene of major events for the royal family in recent years, such as the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, in 2018, and the funeral of Prince Phillip, Elizabeth’s husband, in 2021. But nothing compares to what will happen in the future. Monday (19), when the queen’s body will arrive from the state funeral at Westminster Abbey, London, for burial in the King George Sixth Memorial Chapel, inside the castle, in a procession.

A huge logistical and security scheme devised years ago has already been put in place. The area where the procession will pass is surrounded by bars, and chemical toilets have been installed. There is a lot of police and ambulances are on standby. Police officers on horseback, drones and sniffer dogs also make up the operation.

Anyone planning to go to Windsor and not planning ahead may not have a place to spend the night. Most hotels are sold out until after the queen’s funeral.

With sales increasing due to hundreds of thousands of visitors, souvenir shops have already adapted. In one of them, a bag with the words “Rest in peace” and a picture of Elizabeth is on sale for six pounds (R$ 36).

“We’re not doing this for profit,” one salesman tells Sheet. “Tourists come here and ask us for products related to it. We did this so that people have a memory of this moment.”

The Two Brewers pub next to Windsor Castle will not open on the day of the burial due to the national holiday decreed by King Charles III. “We’re going to close out of respect and so that we can pay our respects, so the employees stay with their families,” explains manager Stuart O’Brien.

He says that he saw the sovereign pass by the pub numerous times and that the movement has increased a lot in recent days. During the visit of Sheet, all the tables were occupied, but the full house didn’t change his mind. “We’re so close to where everything is going to happen that we had no doubts that we should close the doors.”

A few meters away from the pub, tourists and locals were leaving flowers on the castle railing. A team, part of the funeral organization, helped clear up the public’s doubts and asked them to remove the plastic around the bouquets to facilitate composting when the flowers withered. It’s also a safety issue, as every night the flowers are X-rayed and taken to the castle’s inner garden.

Until this Friday, it was still possible to arrive and leave the region with some tranquility. On Monday, however, the number of passengers is expected to be so high that the company responsible for train operators asked the public not to try to make the London-Windsor route and to choose only one of the two locations to accompany the Queen’s farewell ceremonies. .

Gillian and James Henderson have lived in Windsor for 35 years and saw Elizabeth II frequently — often driving her own car, even though she didn’t have a driver’s license.

“It was an honor for us, she made Windsor special. It will be sad to say goodbye to the Queen. She came on weekends, I don’t think King Charles will come,” says Gillian. “She worked hard and was very dedicated, she was a lovely woman. I want to believe that she and Prince Philip will now be united,” she added. Elizabeth will be buried next to her husband, in a ceremony reserved only for the royal family.

Sitting on a bench in a downtown square, the Hendersons watched the movement of visitors. “In my 82 years of life, I have never seen Windsor so full, not even at Harry and Meghan’s wedding,” says James. On Monday, they will be close to the castle but, to avoid the crowd and possible riots, they have decided that the best place to say their last goodbye to the queen is at home, on television.

You May Also Like

Recommended for you